The updated Organic Field Crop Handbook is now available for purchase on the Canadian Organic Growers’ website.

The cost is $45.00 (448 pages).

From the website:

“This handbook is divided into five sections. Section One covers the principles upon which organic management practices are based along with an overview of the organic certification process. Section Two focuses on soil management, Section Three on weed and pest management, while Section Four is written to help producers to understand how to design an effective organic field crop rotation. Section Five provides practical tips for growing the key organic field crops of North America.”

Cashcropper allows you to compare the net profitability and fertility requirements for different crop rotations within a given field. This app is powered by over 30 years of data on crop yield responses to different rotations from trials conducted by the University of Guelph. The app uses default yield values provided by crop insurance records in Ontario and uses the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs cost of production defaults as a starting point for the user. The user can change any of these values to better reflect their operation.

Although the yield responses used in this app are based on an extensive, long term database, there are no guarantees. But if you’re using this app, you’re likely a farmer and already know that the only guarantee in producing a crop is that you’re at the mercy of mother nature.

Over-night temperatures on May 22 to 23 dipped to -2 to -3 oC in many parts of Ontario. Cereal crops are hardy to light frosts. Leaf tissue on plants that have not hardened off will withstand temperatures of -4 oC or lower before the cells will freeze and damage occurs, making late spring frosts of little consequence.